Central bankers are by tradition an aloof bunch, awed into solemnity by
their own eminence as arbiters of a nation's money supply and guardians
of the value of its currency. They immerse themselves in financial
esoterica, dress somberly in three-piece blue suits, and give the
impression that they speak only to one another and to God. When they do
appear in public, they issue Delphian warnings, usually of impending
inflationary doom. An optimistic central banker has been defined as
"one who thinks the situation is...